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| Titel |
First satellite measurements of chemical changes in coincidence with sprite activity: characteristics of the TLE-producing convective system |
| VerfasserIn |
Fernanda Sao Sabbas, Enrico Arnone, Serge Soula, Rodrigo Azambuja, Olivier Charion, Elisa Castelli, Massimo Carlotti, Jeison Santiago, Torsten Neubert |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2010
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 12 (2010) |
| Datensatznummer |
250041090
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Sprites are some of the Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that occur in the upper
atmosphere above thunderstorms as a direct consequence of thunderstorm electrical
activity. Sprites are formed by mesospheric streamer plasma channels, inside which
chemical reactions take place altering the local composition of the atmosphere.
Among the gases that may be produced by sprites are the nitric oxides that take
part of the ozone destruction cycle, therefore understanding the characteristics and
distribution of TLE-producing thunderstorms is necessary to quantify their overall
impact on the upper atmosphere. On August 25th, 2003, 20 sprites were observed
above a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) over Corsica, the Mediterranean Sea
and Northern Italy, by a camera located at Pic du Midi as part of the Eurosprite
campaign. The MCS lasted for 16 h and reached a maximum extent of about 222,000
km2 about 6 h after it initiated. Sprite activity was only detected about 2 h later
and, during this phase, MIPAS spectrometer onboard the Envisat satellite detected
substantial enhancement of ambient NO2 directly above the sprite producing MCS
(see companion paper by Arnone et al. for details on chemical changes). In this
paper we present the characteristics of the convective system for which, for the first
time, TLE-induced chemical changes were observed. The peculiarities of these
systems are discussed in comparison with previously observed systems. On the basis
of these observations, we present the prospects of adopting a similar strategy in
Brazil and South America, as well as future observation scenarios in this continent. |
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